FRESH INK

KTGA's Fantastical Botanical Was Both Fantastical and Botanical

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Tuesday, April 26, 2016

under Culture by Enjoy Team

KTGA's Fantastical Botanical take-over of classic Shanghai landmark 1933 came to an end on Sunday, but boy was it a fun weekend full of just the craziest hippy stuff. We say that in the nicest way possible.

In case you've never been to any of KTGA's previous bespoke alternative experiences, let's get you quickly up to speed. KTGA (stands for Kick The Gong Around and is not only Cab Calloway's weirdest reference to sex, but also a description of what their creative process must look like) is, according to them, a "Boutique Events Agency based in Shanghai." They like to do narrative environments, which basically just means a really heavy-duty dedication to a theme.

Last year they were doing all kinds of cool stuff like the Winter Fest at Húbīndào near Xīntiāndì, but Fantastical Botanical was their first (and last, it seems) event of 2016. There were all kinds of cool little booths, events, performances, tarot card reading, a stand with a clean-shaven man selling wetshave straight-razors, flowers in your hair, unrepresentative pizzas from Melrose, and your face plastered either with paint or on the side of a Vedett bottle if you were VIP.

Unlike Winter Fest's cavernous mall-space, the tighter confines of the SkyTheatre (awesome name) at 1933 made it a much more intimate, personal affair. No escaping into an abandoned corner to have your hotdog at this event! No, you had to talk to people. Bond, even. Perhaps argue over whose beer selfie was better. Overall, it was great. We can't wait for the next one. As things were wrapping up, we got a word in with Reigna Komesu Hayes from the KTGA team.

EnjoyShanghai: How do you feel it's going at Fantastical Botanical?

Regina: We are very pleased this time because we are celebrating Spring and we tried to reach as many different kinds of lovely people as possible and we had a great turn-out today [Sunday] so it makes us very happy. This is what we're trying to accomplish to bring the community together of independent creatives, foodies, as well as...

EnjoyShanghai: Ska bands?

Regina: Yes! All kinds of music, our entertainment is quite eclectic, we always try to introduce something different that people might not be listening to right now in Shanghai, so yeah, everyone seems very happy.

EnjoyShanghai: Sneak peak about what's next?

Regina: Not yet, not yet, we need to regroup a little bit, decompress a little and then start working.

Important development over the last event; designated smoking and drinking areas!

EnjoyShanghai: What was special about Fantastical Botanical for you?

Regina: The venue is an amazing place, and we're happy to be back to 1933, and I think we had a really wonderful collaboration. Yesterday we had Chacha, she's very special and she's really good friends with Cruzma [Maria Vallespir], our Creative Director, who's going back to graduate school, so we'll see next semseter how it will be, it'll depend also on how she can manage.

For us it's a bitter sweet thing. It's our most beuaitufl and best event, so far, and at the same time, we might need to take a little break. But we did it with our hearts because of it.

Duo Sambossa Jazz played all kinds of beats, including a little capoeira music despite the fact that they busted their berimbau.